With the weather rapidly going from winter to summer here in the northeast, the mosquitoes will soon be showing up with a lot more than just their tiny bodies. With the Zika virus hitting the world hard, the rise in tick based diseases, and with the growing reports of the e-virus, the battle against these ticks and mosquitoes is heating up. So here are ways you can protect yourself and your family.
(To help you with your mosquito protection, the affiliate links are provided.)
Tips for How Not to Get Bitten By Mosquitoes
1. Use insect spray
Just like your dermatologist advises you to put sunscreen on before stepping out the door, put on the bug spray. In fact, just set down a can next to your favorite perfume and consider the spray your summer fragrance. Alternatively, use sunscreen with bugspray mixed in. Avon 
even makes one that is a sunscreen, bug spray and moisturizing lotion combo.
2. Use Bug Bands and Bracelets
If you don’t like spray on your body or worry about skin reactions or have a young child, use mosquito repellent bracelets
instead of spray for a repellent option.
3. Use a Candle
Instead of lighting up the Garden Rose fragrance from Yankee Candle, set out citronella candles instead – outside and inside your house. Make sure to find ones that have a high concentration of citronella. One basic test is to give it a whiff. If you are not bowled over by the citronella smell, even before you light it, it is probably going to be the laughing stock of the mosquito world.
4. Use insect repellant clothing
Wear pre-treated permethrin insect repellent clothing like shirts or pants. A brand called Insect Shield® even has cute scarfs and hats, maternity and kid clothing, and a service that can provide insect shield on your existing garments.
5. Use common sense
While you can get bitten at any time, the worst times are dusk and dawn, or when you are in the woods where the sun doesn’t shine. So stay indoors during those times and perhaps, go on that hike in the winter when there are no bugs. Otherwise, use one of the techniques shared in the post to reduce your bite risk.
Read this Post: Alternative to Deet – Tick Repellent for Kids
6. Use caution
Mosquitoes are born in the water. So, do what you can to eliminate standing water in your yard. Those kiddie pools or splash tables should be cleaned out after play. Make an effort to walk around your house after a rain storm to see where water sits around, and do what you can to mitigate it from happening the next time. If you can’t eliminate the water pool, then take steps to kill mosquito larvae by using mosquito bits and dunks.
7. Consider private spray services
While towns often spray in neighborhoods or parks to keep control over mosquito populations, there are private pest control or mosquito control services where you can hire then to periodically spray on your property to keep mosquitoes at bay.
8. Consider bug zappers
There are electronic devices that you can place on your property to attract and kill mosquitos and other flying insects. You place the mosquito trap on the far corner of your property line to pull them away from the house and play areas, and then send them off to their mosquito demise.
Unfortunately, mosquitos are not just annoying insects that make you itch. They are now common carriers of very dangers diseases and efforts, that you feel comfortable with, need to be taken as the warm whether approaches. They have the power not to ruin just your summer night, but perhaps the rest of your life!
It is important to note that some of the suggestions are environmentally friendly and non-toxic, and others are not. Find what works for your family.
